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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22456915">Drawn Conclusions</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account'>orphan_account</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Megamind (2010)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Angst and Fluff and Smut, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Romance</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-01-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-01-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 16:34:43</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>8,692</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22456915</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Three months after a spectacular failure, Roxanne reflects back on the last ten years and Megamind struggles to answer tough questions.<br/>A/U</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Megamind &amp; Roxanne Ritchi, Megamind/Roxanne Ritchi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>83</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is my first fanfiction.  Don't be kind. (I won't learn.)  Don't be mean. (I'll cry.  Not really.)</p>
<p>Alternate titles I considered:<br/>Roxanne's New Sketchy Reality<br/>Brilliance in the Simplest of Creations<br/>Life After the Big 3-0<br/>Living Day After Terrible Day</p>
<p>The last one is an adaptation of a Charles Dickens quote from <i> Great Expectations </i> but it was just a little too depressing and not right for the story.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <i>About Three Months Ago</i>
</p>
<p>It was a familiar feeling, the sound of voices reaching her brain as consciousness slowly returned, all light blacked out except for what slipped in under the bag on her head.  Ugh, that wretched bag.  Roxanne took in a deep breath and suddenly the voices of her captors ceased as the bag was pulled from her head.</p>
<p>Megamind sat in his leather chair, closer than he normally does when he starts this routine, but still more than arms-length away.  She pursed her lips and flattened her eyes, waiting for him to kick off the show.  He really needed his own reality program, Roxanne thought to herself.  </p>
<p>“Welcome, Miss Ritchi.  Now that I have you in my grasp, it is only a matter of time before Metro Man meets his doom!”</p>
<p>She nodded her head, “Yep, sounds about right.”</p>
<p>Megamind’s eyes widened and he leaned forward a bit, continuing, “B-but you haven’t heard my plan yet!  How do you know-?”  He cut himself off, not sure if he wanted to continue that sentence.  Roxanne stifled a smirk but took the time to evaluate his demeanor:  those round, expressive eyes, such a lovely shade of brilliant green, the eyebrows raised up, causing little ripples in his forehead, his pursed lips, the innocent way he held his hands in his lap, gloved fingers fidgeting with each other, legs and feet pressed together.  It was just such an innocent look and probably one of Roxanne’s favorites.  That, or the wide smile and crazy eyes he got when explaining his plan or, better yet, coming up with a new idea in her presence.</p>
<p>“I just know,” she said, more sultrily than she had intended.  She cursed herself for not keeping up a better barrier between real life and fantasy.  </p>
<p>If her voice had any impact on him, it didn’t register on his face.  He settled back into his chair and smoothed out his cape on his lap.  Roxanne darted her eyes down to track his hands without moving her head.  When they made eye contact, he continued, “As I was saying, your Metro Man will meet his doom today.  I have faked the geolocation services on your phone to indicate you are stranded in the middle of Lake Michigan.  When he flies over to get to you – as he undoubtedly will – I will unleash my transporter ray and send him to the moon!”  As he spoke, his hands became more and more animated and his eyes crazy with his own genius.  He jumped up at the end and slid right in front of her to stare down at her, a triumphant smile on his face.</p>
<p>Not breaking eye contact, Roxanne shrugged, “Eh.  Can’t he just fly back?  And why the moon?”</p>
<p>His face fell and he muttered, “It’s the farthest I could get the other end of the transporter.  Every gateway needs an entrance and an exit.  It’s going to work, you negative nuncy.”</p>
<p>“It’s Negative Nancy.  Wait – so you sent a rocket to the moon to drop off a piece of equipment?”</p>
<p>Breaking eye contact, he shrugged, “Yes.  So?”</p>
<p>“Well – that’s amazing!” she blurted out and immediately groaned internally.  </p>
<p>He smiled triumphantly, as if that was the only win he cared about that day, and stated forcefully, “I know!”</p>
<p>Roxanne rolled her eyes, internally at least, and used that as a segue.  “So tell me again why you’re doing all this, Megamind?”</p>
<p>A confused look crossed his face and he stated, simply, “To take out Metro Man and rule Metrocity.”  </p>
<p>She rolled her head and her eyes before re-establishing eye contact with him, “Look, Megamind, Metro Man doesn’t even rule the city.  When’s the last time you’ve seen him do anything other than fight you or take part in public appearances?”  She added on, “He doesn’t even control the budget.”</p>
<p>Megamind stared down at her, his eyes roving over her face thinking of a response.  Roxanne swore that he briefly dipped his eyes down her chest and hips, but it was the quickest of glances.</p>
<p>She cocked her head to the side and leaned forward looking up at him, her nose less than a foot from his, “Oh, cat got your tongue?  Tell me you haven’t thought about this a million times before?”</p>
<p>“Sir?” came Minion’s voice from behind.  He had been silently observing the conversation while simultaneously keeping track of Metro Man’s position.</p>
<p>“Listen, Temptress, I think of everything.  Of course-”</p>
<p>“Sir? Sir?” Minion interrupted more forcefully.  Regretfully, Megamind turned his gaze over to his henchfish and waited.  “Metro Man approaches.  The blast will happen in 5-4-3-2-1.”</p>
<p>Roxanne turned her head to watch the live feed from the brainbots stationed nearby.  Suddenly, a ray erupted from a machine floating on an anchored boat.  It started strong but then sputtered out.  Metro Man stopped and briefly looked down before circling back.  He caught sight of the camera on the brainbot and looked directly into it, saying, “Is that the best you’ve got Megamind?!”</p>
<p>Minion cut the feed and looked over at a flabbergasted Megamind.  “What happened, Minion?”</p>
<p>“It-it didn’t have enough of a warm up phase.  It went off too soon,” Minion said quietly but matter-of-factly.</p>
<p>Megamind slumped forward and didn’t bother to look back at Roxanne.  He was too defeated to do that.  He simply walked out of Evil Lair, leaving Minion to re-bag Roxanne and take her to a third-party location where Metro Man would pick her up.  She wasn’t sure why she felt so defeated too, but the feeling gripped her and wouldn’t let go.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>She took one look in the mirror and twirled once, slightly embarrassed immediately afterwards.  It was, of course, the type of outfit that a woman would twirl around in – a black flared skirt and a deep-blue silk v-neck blouse with little shoulder caplets for sleeves.  Black thigh-highs attached to a garter belt (all safely secured under the skirt) and simple black matte pumps completed the outfit.  Over the last several years (she wasn’t exactly sure when it started), black and blue colors had slowly crept into her non-work outfits, a sort of shadow wardrobe to counterbalance the overabundance of red and white that she wore on TV.  Turning around, she picked up the black lacy cardigan that draped over the edge of the still rumpled bed and examined it once over before adorning it.  </p>
<p>Roxanne sighed and put a hand on her hip, looking herself over one more time.  “When, exactly?” she asked out loud, resigned to the sadness that had begun to pervade her life.  She was about to turn 30.  She had been doing this job for the better part of a decade.  All of the glory that comes with being a celebrity news anchor – the handsome boyfriend, the lavish lifestyle, and the parties – was all an illusion.  Roxanne hated the lifestyle, hated the parties, and, most of all, hated being a beard.  Sure, she had a nice apartment and her financial future was pretty good, but with no one to share life’s experiences and no prospect of career advancement, it was little more than a trap she’d set for herself.</p>
<p>Worst of all, it had been three months since she had – since ANYONE – had seen Megamind.  After a month, she began to worry that something had happened.  After two months, she had begun to acquaint herself with the dread of not knowing.  And now, three months in, Roxanne accepted the unknown with a dull sadness in her heart.  Part of her tried to goad herself into searching for him, telling herself that the journalist inside of her would never give up until she knew the truth.  But she already knew the truth – Megamind didn’t want to be found.  His face the day of the Moon Beam Madness (Wayne’s phrase) had told Roxanne as much.  </p>
<p>Life continued on.  Slowly, the city began to forget about its supervillain and found it had little use for its hero outside of publicity shots.  A tourist attraction.  Another Wayne phrase.  Soon Metro Man would be gone too, hinting that he might go to LA to front a band or even do movies.  Frowning slightly, she shrugged out of the cardigan and began to unbutton the blouse.  She stared at her partially-clothed self in the mirror, feeling that she was at the edge of her youthfulness.  This was the time when all good celebrities branched out and tried something else, all built on a personal brand that translated into endorsements and partnerships.  The next phase of this career was supposed to take her out of Metro City and into someplace like Chicago or even LA or NYC, but this weird power dynamic had kept her rooted in place.  Without that dynamic, Roxanne was free to pursue that dream, much like Wayne was doing.  She shrugged out of her skirt, letting it slip to the floor around her ankles while she plopped back on the bed behind her.  Was it her fault that everything had stayed the same?  If she packed up and left tomorrow, what would happen?  Would he surface?  Would he care?    <br/>Taking in a deep breath, Roxanne heaved herself up and neatly hung up her new outfit; there was no place for it on her trip where she was going.  She would be gone for three days, a short trip, for sure, but the first one she had managed to take in over a year.  It was no Caribbean getaway, but a long weekend at a secluded spa sounded like the perfect escape for her admittedly first-world woes.  Roxanne was already imagining the feel of warm hands massaging the tension out of her back and shoulders, delicate blue hands with long thin fingers…she snapped her gaze back to her weekend bag.  She would not let herself think about that right now.  Indulging in that train of thought always brought her brief moments of happiness followed by a lengthy period of shame, doubt, and sadness.</p>
<p>Roxanne tossed the last item into her weekend bag: a brand-new sketch pad and chalk pastel set, tools for her secret hobby.  Not even Wayne knew she sketched.  Certainly, back home and through college her friends knew and had encouraged her creative outlets, but as time carried on and the demands of the job got in the way, her passion had fallen by the side.  It was only in the last couple of years that she had taken up her art again.  She had convinced herself that the job was keeping her too busy, but if she were truly being honest with herself, it was the subject matter she craved that simultaneously had reignited her artistic passions while instilling the deepest fear she had known in her art.  She had to tell herself she was allowed this pleasure, allowed the little thrill of using her art to vent her own sexual frustrations, wish-fulfillment with every stroke.</p>
<p>As if on cue, Roxanne walked over to her mattress and lifted up the edge near the nightstand, pulling out a well-worn and full sketch pad, her first one since college.  The hardness she’d been carrying on her face fell away as she flipped through her drawings, replaced by the slightest of serene smiles.  She had eased back into her craft using charcoal.  The drawings began innocuously enough: pigeons on her balcony, still-life, the standard self-portrait, all repeated over again, improving with each attempt.  Then, towards the end of the pad she began to draw what her heart had been telling her for years.  It was the beginnings of another self-portrait, but instead, Roxanne added in delicate, shaded hands with long, thin fingers on each side of her head, framing it as one would do in bed to their lover looking down at them.  The next page was a continuation of this theme: a nude female torso with thin, shaded hands and arms wrapping around the lower abdomen from behind.  Then finally, the piece that would give her up entirely if anyone ever found her secret works: that familiar and large cranium with round, intense eyes and a small goatee, those same delicate hands folded under his chin.</p>
<p>“Megamind,” she said barely above a whisper, familiar tension building in her abdomen.  Roxanne looked down at the time on her phone.  It was just after 10 AM on a Friday and she was looking at a two-hour drive.  She could either do this here or in her room at the spa.  Sighing, she flipped back to the previous picture of his hands on her lower abdomen.  The fingers were pointed down, just grazing the top of her mound.  Roxanne shivered and slowly pulled her bra straps off enough to pull her breasts out and skim her fingers over them.  Leaning back, she let one hand slide down to her vertical lips where she hesitated briefly before dipping in to stroke at the tense bundle straining just below.  Roxanne stroked several times almost methodically and on cue, her body tensed and her hips bucked up as she released the tension that had built over the last few days.  She looked over her drawings one last time as she let the warmth wear off, let the strength return to her body. </p>
<p>Wasting no more time, Roxanne closed the sketchbook on her bed, dressed, and zipped up her bag.  After a short pause, she pulled her new outfit off of the hanger and folded it neatly into her bag.  She gave her apartment one last look-through before leaving for the next few days.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Quote is from Charles Dickens' <i>Great Expectations</i></p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Are you sure, Sir?” came the doubtful voice of his oldest and most trusted friend.</p><p>He looked up from the machine he had been adjusting - a giant robot - and stared at the nervous fish for a long second then began to nod his head slightly as he replied simply, “Yes.”</p><p>Raising a fin up in the water, the fish asked, “Don’t we usually do this during the week?  You know, when she’s working?  I mean, do we really want to intrude-” </p><p>Holding up a hand and slow-blinking, Megamind interrupted Minion’s usual doubts, “Now, hold on.  I happen to know that tomorrow is Miss Ritchi’s birthday.”</p><p>“Okaaay…I mean, we already knew this, right?  What, are we going to start kidnapping her on her special day too?  Is that fair, Sir?”  Minion asked, an eyebrow cocked up and the mechanical arms of the gorilla robot crossed across its chest.</p><p>Megamind tossed his wrench aside, dodging a brainbot that descended upon it, and threw his hands up in the air, “All’s fair in evil and villainy!  I will kidnap her -”</p><p><i>“You</i>, Sir?  And it’s ‘all’s fair in love and war,’” Minion said pointedly.</p><p>Lowering his arms as walked towards Minion to place a hand on his gorilla suit chest, Megamind continued, “Yes, <i>I</i> will kidnap her tomorrow morning and bring her to Evil Lair.  Meanwhile, using this-” he turned to grab a large black remote control off of the work desk next to him and toss it to Minion, who fumbled to catch it, “you will guide the Ravager to the park by city hall and wait for Metro Man.”</p><p>“Wait, wait, wait…” Minion said, holding up a fin again, “isn’t this the dancing robot you designed after binging that show a month ago?”</p><p>Sighing dramatically, Megamind turned his back to Minion to gaze at his creation before replying, “Yeeesss, Minion, but I’ve repurposed it for this very occasion.  Metro Man won’t know what hit him!”</p><p>Minion took a few steps forward and asked, “Sir, what will you do if Metro Man is at Roxanne’s tomorrow morning?  I mean, I usually do the kidnappings anyhow…”</p><p>His words cut through Megamind’s core like a hot knife.  His eyes flattened and he said with false security, “Ah, but I have thought of that!  I will send a brainbot ahead to scout the target.”</p><p>Minion replied, “But don’t you think this is a little…uninspired, Sir?  It’s not up to your normal elaborate scheming.”</p><p>It’s a good thing Megamind was still looking at the robot because his face fell completely.  It was obvious to Minion and it would be obvious to Roxanne as well – he was in a rut, but he had to see her.  It had been months since their last interaction and he could feel the dark blanket of loneliness pulling over his head, clouding everything he did.  “Nonsense!”  Then, reassembling the smug smile on his face, he turned to Minion and said, “Brilliance can be found in the simplest of creations!”</p><p>Minion nodded and said, “Okay, but since she’ll be over for breakfast, I insist on making waffles and bacon!”</p><p>Megamind paused thoughtfully and said, “You know, I think she’d prefer blueberry pancakes.”</p><p>Minion cocked an eyebrow at Megamind, offering up only a simple “Okay,” and then turned to leave.  He had lots of chores to complete this morning and, frankly, wanted to get away from Sir’s strange mood.  He feared, though, that there was only so long they could dance around the elephant in the room: Sir was in love with Miss Ritchi.  Minion had seen it happening before Megamind even realized, but had ignored it in the hopes that time would erase such thoughts from Megamind’s consciousness.  Instead, he had watched it grow worse: the elation Megamind exuded verbally sparring with her, the intentional and unintentional double meaning to his words; depression that followed once he landed back in jail; the false bravado he put on once he escaped from jail and resumed working on a new plan.  If Minion could create a perfect reality, he would live in a world where no one cared that Megamind was an alien, a world where Megamind had the potential to earn everything any other human can, friends, respect, and, most importantly, love.</p><p>Megamind waited for Minion to close the door behind him before he sank to the ground, leaning on his side, and pulling his knees to his chest.  This anxiety was too much for him.  He wasn’t sure how much more he could stand the longing.  The realization hit him several years ago, actually, after a chance encounter with an old novel.  Looking to expand his knowledge of human literature, Megamind had taken to reading a novel a day.  After some time, he had come across Great Expectations, apparently a great novel by a great author, but the experience was more than he anticipated.  He loved it; he hated it; and when he finished the story, he remembered gently setting the book down and covering his eyes with his hands as if to pull the words out of his brain.  To long for love and acceptance forever?  Was it his fate to not find anyone?  Not just anyone.  He was fooling himself if he didn’t admit he was thinking about Roxanne the entire time he was reading it, every much his peer, but kept just out of reach.  </p><p>And who was he to question the fate he had laid out for himself – to be the villain? </p><p>He relaxed his arms and stretched out on his back on the cold metal floor, turning his head to examine the Ravager.  Minion was right, it was inferior to his normal schemes, but it wasn’t the focus of tomorrow.  For once, he didn’t have a plan, but tomorrow he was going to resolve these feelings inside of him.  He allowed himself to put the words aloud that had rolled in his head for years, “ ‘I loved her against reason, against promise, against peace, against hope, against happiness, against all discouragement that could be.’ ”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Roxanne woke up early the next morning which immediately annoyed her.  It was Saturday, her birthday, with only the faintest hint of sunlight refracting off of clouds, creating a purple glow at the window.  Agitatedly, she pulled the blanket over her and turned onto her side, facing the empty half of the queen bed.  She sighed and clamped her eyes shut, trying to force herself back to sleep.  It wouldn’t work.  She grazed her fingers over her body, attempting to relax herself via sensuous stimulation.  It worked a little, bringing her half way there before the feeling sputtered out.  How frustrating, she thought.  And how frustrating to wake up in a new decade with no one next to her.  </p>
<p>She checked her phone.  6:01 AM.  Damn.  Too early for the breakfast buffet.  Sighing, Roxanne swung her legs out of bed, stood up, and stretched, cool air rushing over her naked body.  She walked over to her weekend bag and rummaged through it, pulling out black athletic capris, a black sports bra, black tank top, black socks, and a black hoodie.  Slipping on her black trainers, she casually looked at herself in the mirror.  No one knew her here, especially without her work clothes and makeup.  Roxanne wasn’t worried about being recognized and she found that reassuring.  Anonymity was welcome, but especially when her emotions swirled so strongly beneath the surface, when she felt particularly vulnerable.  Knowing she could navigate other people without having to apply a false happiness made her, well…happy.</p>
<p>She looked at the sketch pad and chalk set sitting opened but unused next to the TV.  Roxanne had thought to draw something last night before going to bed, but the only thing that came to mind was the one thing she was trying to forget about right now.  A tiny voice in her head reminded her of facts she had wordlessly put together but had yet to spell out to herself.  </p>
<p>
  <i>You left your secret sketch pad out.  </i>
</p>
<p>“No one’s coming over.  I live alone, remember?”</p>
<p>
  <i>He comes over.</i>
</p>
<p>“No, Minion gets me.”</p>
<p>
  <i>He could find it on your bed and bring it back to him.</i>
</p>
<p>“They never kidnap me on a weekend.  Especially not on my birthday.  Never happened.”</p>
<p>
  <i>But the tension has been building.  </i>
</p>
<p>“That’s likely one-sided.  I’m not worried about it.  My secret is safe.”</p>
<p>
  <i>Is that what you want?</i>
</p>
<p>She looked back at her reflection in the mirror for a long while, her eyes searching not for the answer, but for the reason why she delayed to answer.  “No,” she said quietly.  </p>
<p>Sighing to herself, she picked up the card key for her room and slipped it into her hoodie pocket before leaving the room.  Just a casual morning walk would do, once around the property and then back to her room to sketch before heading downstairs for breakfast and other planned events of the day.  It was going to be a good morning – Roxanne owed herself this happiness today of all days.</p>
<p>Outside, the air was cold but brought refreshing smells of spring.  A paved path cut through the property and in the early morning light everything looked magical, the whisper of a fairy tale yet to be told hidden within its depths.  Roxanne felt the tug of a smile on her lips even as the wind bit at her face.  Breathing in deeply, she stopped on a wooden bridge over a gently babbling stream.  Leaning against the railing she looked out, towards the impending sunrise.  She didn’t have her phone to take a picture, but she tried to commit the image to memory as best she could because this was her next sketch.  </p>
<p>It’s so beautiful here she mused.  She heard a noise and looked back to see a young couple, holding hands and completely engrossed in each other, walking across the bridge behind her.  Belatedly, they called out, “Good morning!” in unison before erupting in ridiculous laughter.  Roxanne smiled wistfully.  <i>He would have enjoyed it – enjoyed telling you about how sunlight refracts in the atmosphere and spitting out a complex calculation to prove it.</i>  “As if I would have ever doubted you.”<br/></p>
<p>Roxanne continued her walk, eventually finding herself back at the resort.  Her walk must have been longer than she realized because breakfast was already in full swing when she entered.  Walking up, she grabbed a plate and selected a scoop of fruit salad, a croissant with strawberry jam, and a spoon of scrambled eggs.  <i>Looks good, but probably not as good as Minion’s cooking.</i>  She laughed to herself, wondering if anyone else heard her.</p>
<p>She sat down at an empty two-seater and began to demolish the eggs in front of her.  She looked off to her side and saw an elderly couple sit down, each holding a plate of food and a cup of coffee.  Roxanne examined their features as unobtrusively as possible.  They were quiet, beginning to eat in a silence that some would take for angry tension, but what Roxanne realized was pure contentment.  The ability to sit in another’s presence without having to speak was a joy only a fraction of humans attained.  She smiled to herself, doubtful that Megamind would ever be able to stop talking unless he was focusing on a new scheme.  </p>
<p>Roxanne resumed eating her breakfast, happily tearing her croissant into bite sized pieces that she would individually slather with jam as she ate them.  When she looked back over, the elderly couple were sipping their coffee and holding each other’s hands on the table.  She imagined holding his hand in a similar fashion.  Thoughtfully, she picked up her coffee and swirled it in her hand slightly before taking a sip, lingering on the bitter flavor before putting the coffee down, sitting back, and kicking her feet out on the other side of the table.  She took some time to look around – everyone was holding hands.  Or maybe that was just what she focused on.  Either way, she began to feel like a third wheel surrounded by couples who stared and silently judged.<br/></p>
<p>Taking a deep breath, Roxanne got up and walked back to her room.  This wasn’t quite the trip she imagined it would be.  <i>I guess you can’t escape yourself.</i>  She tossed her card key next to the TV and picked up her sketch pad and chalk.  She was going to have one happy memory here – that sunrise!  Hands shaking with anticipation, she sat down at the desk by the window and began to focus entirely on her new project.  </p>
<p>Roxanne sighed contentedly and looked down at her drawing.  It was as close to her memory as she could get.  Looking over at her phone, she realized that it was close to 1 pm.  Quickly, she picked up her card key and dashed out of the room towards the spa downstairs, eager to make her appointment.  She smiled to herself, knowing that she would be imagining his hands on her body in the spa.  She found that the thought didn’t give her the same hopeless desperation it did yesterday.</p>
<p>Her room door clicked silently behind her, but she was already down the hall going down the stairs.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>He alit on the rooftop of the neighboring building but didn’t cut the engine of the hoverbike.  It wasn’t as tall as Roxanne’s apartment complex, but the position gave him a good view of her apartment from the side.  Silently, a brainbot continued ahead to scout the apartment while Megamind looked down at his watch expectedly, waiting for data to be sent back to him.  A few minutes later, he read the simple transmission: no one present.</p><p>He wrinkled his brow and pursed his lips.  That’s odd – unless she was with Metro Man.  The thought caused his stomach to flop and he nearly called off the entire thing, but he firmed his resolve.  He would kidnap Miss Ritchi this morning.  Or not.  Depended on how the mood played out.  This kind of uncertain planning was not his style, but after three weeks ago, he realized the futility in planning these events so meticulously.  Simple was better.  He also couldn’t get her words out of his head.  What would he do if he ruled Metro City?  The thought had passed his mind before, but he’d always stomped down that much forward planning in favor of more immediate schemes.  If he was being truly honest with himself, he didn’t really care about ruling the city.  It was about that a long time ago, but then it just became a routine, a way of living that let him share company with the loveliest woman he had ever met, even if it was for brief intervals and just conversation.</p><p>“She thinks sending a rocket to the moon is so special – I could take her there if she wanted!” he said to himself.  He thought back to the last time they spoke, three mobths ago.  It wasn’t what she said to him, but how she said it, the lower pitch to her voice at times, the way she leaned in to him and the length of unbroken eye contact they made.  It had almost made him blush to stare so deeply into her ocean-eyes.  Then there was the way she had tracked her gaze over his face and body, lingering on his hands on his lap.  He wasn’t really good at reading body language, but he still had that rush, the heat of the emotion, wash over him looking back at it.  He had to take the chance that he could change this dynamic (and hope that Metro Man wouldn’t beat him up for it).  Solidifying his resolve, Megamind quietly zoomed over to her balcony and turned off the motor before engaging the invisibility cloak.  </p><p>Peering into her apartment he saw it was completely dark.  The door into her living room was unlocked.  She never kept it locked anymore.  The only people who would come in or out of it was Megamind or Minion and the first time they had gotten in that way, they had cracked a window jimmying the lock.  Megamind had, of course, reimbursed her, but she felt it best to avoid the whole issue in the future.</p><p>He turned on the living room light and turned back to the balcony windows to draw the drapes.  He didn’t want the prying eyes of a certain hero to intrude on his nosing about.  Megamind walked around the living room and kitchen, even jumping into the bathroom quickly, but nothing.  He looked over at her bedroom door.  It was shut.  It was early.  She was probably still asleep in there, maybe even with Metro Man.  He placed a hand on the knob and then pressed his ear to the door.  No gentle sleeping sounds.  He knew that Roxanne had the tiniest snore from prior kidnappings.</p><p>He bust open the door and jumped in.  No one.   Frowning, he flicked on the light and walked around to the far side of her bedroom, near the window to pull the blinds shut.  Turning, he looked over at the rumpled bed and saw the sketch pad there.  Interesting, I didn’t know Miss Ritchi drew.  He had drawn specs for robot suits and various other “evil” machines enough to draw very well within that limited space.  Landscapes and abstract wasn’t really his thing.  He picked up the book and opened the first page.  It wasn’t great, but it was a start.  He continued flipping the pages, becoming increasingly impressed by her skill set.  By the time he had reached her last self-portrait, he was struck.  She had done such an incredible job that if this was the first time he saw her face, Megamind would have fallen in love with her all over again just by looking at the picture.</p><p>He sat down on her bed, a little thrill shivering up his spine as he did so.  There were only a few more pages and he was excited to see what else she had drawn, although he was sure that nothing would surpass her last self-portrait.  Lazily he turned the page and stared down at the image.  A self portrait of herself, but with hands on either side of her face.  And not her hands, but different hands, with long thin fingers.  Hands that were…not human.   His breath hitched in the back of his throat.  As quickly as the realization dawned on him, he immediately began tamping it down. <i> It’s not you.  It’s not you.  It’s not you.</i></p><p>He turned the page and swallowed hard immediately.  It was a woman’s naked torso with those same not human hands wrapped around her lower abdomen.  <i>Is this how she looks, naked?</i>  Megamind thought he might die right there, but he wasn’t sure any of this was real.  Maybe this was a very realistic dream?  There was only one page left.  He gulped and turned it, gasping hard at what he saw there.  It was his portrait and a rather good one as well.  Silently, he closed the book and put a hand up to his mouth, feeling the tears that immediately dripped down his cheeks.  It was all so devastatingly beautiful to him and tragic at the same time.  The validation of his feelings in a most intimate way combined with the years of torment leading up to this caused him to lean forward and hold his giant head in his hands, silently sobbing.</p><p>After a few minutes had passed, he dried his tears, and put the sketch pad back where he had found it, shutting off the light and opening the blinds back in the bedroom before he retreated back to the living room.  He sat down on her couch and wondered what to do.  He needed to see her as soon as she came home.  He didn’t know where she was, but he knew that he was going to confess everything to her as soon as he could.  No more wasting time.</p><p>Collecting himself, he radioed Minion through his watch.  “Minion?”</p><p>“Sir?  Everything okay?” Minion asked warily.</p><p>“Yes-no-I mean she’s not here.”  Megamind didn’t even know how to answer that question.</p><p>“Oh okay.  Glad I didn’t start the pancakes.  Plans cancelled today, Sir?”</p><p>“Half of them.  Forget about the Ravager.  I’m not sure when she’s going to be back, but I’m going to wait here.”  His leg was bouncing up down nervously.</p><p>“Sir, if the plan is cancelled…?”</p><p>Megamind sighed and said, “I…need to talk to her.  It can’t wait.”</p><p>“Did…you…want me to come over too, Sir?” Minion asked cautiously.</p><p>“No, no Minion,” Megamind said with a faint smile.  “I have to talk through a few things with her, face to face.”</p><p>“Oh okay.  Just radio if you need my help, Sir?”</p><p>“I will, Minion, I will,” and with that, Megamind shut off his communicator watch entirely.  He sat back on the couch.  Her question had stuck in his head – what would he do if he succeeded in taking over Metro City?  He asked himself a follow up question – what would he do if he decided that conquering Metro City wasn’t something he wanted to (or even could) do?  He heard the familiar sound of a brainbot behind him and he turned around to stare at it.  “Can you keep watch on the roof of the neighboring apartment complex and let me know when Roxanne enters the building for Daddy?”</p><p>Finally, alone, he sat in silence for a few minutes before turning on the TV.  He spent the majority of the morning on the couch before he had to get up to use the restroom and look for something to eat.  He briefly considered ordering take out, but didn’t want to arise any suspicions.  Her refrigerator bore the specter of the working singleton: half-empty take out boxes, an expired jar of mayo, and a drawer lined with various sauce packets: soy and duck, ketchup, and BBQ.  He sighed and pulled open her freezer to find a stack of frozen meals.  I guess it’s better than nothing, he thought to himself as he pulled out chicken marsala.</p><p>He ate it leaning against her kitchen counter.  He alternated between thinking that she’s with Metro Man and his confession will fall on deaf ears or be met with ridicule to she’s off somewhere visiting family for her birthday and when she comes back, I’ll be here for her.</p><p>All he could do now was simply wait.</p>
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<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is it, everyone!  I hope you enjoyed it and please let me know your thoughts.</p><p>Quote is, of course, from Charles Dickens' <i>Great Expectations</i></p><p>Thanks for reading!!!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>She walked out of the spa drugged with relaxation and headed back to her room.  It was just after 3 PM and she felt the urge to take an afternoon nap before taking a long bath ahead of dinner.  By the time she got back to her room, however, the relaxation had worn off and that familiar tension had settled back into her abdomen.  Roxanne looked at her bed and then over at the tub in the bathroom and decided to skip the nap.  She casually picked up her phone on the side and saw several texts and missed calls.  </p><p>“Happy Birthday my lovely daughter.  Call me when you can!  Love Mom”  Roxanne snickered that her mom signed all of her texts.</p><p>“Yo Roxie, you home?  Happy Birthday – drinks on me tonight!” Ugh Hal.</p><p>“HBD” Wayne.</p><p>There were a few more from other coworkers and friends, but none from Megamind.  How silly, she thought.  He probably doesn’t even have a phone and why would he text his frequent kidnapping victim?  </p><p>She put the phone down and ran her bath, tossing in a bath bomb provided by the resort.  The smell of roses filled the room as the water turned a lovely shade of pink.  So romantic, meant for couples to enjoy.  Stop thinking about couples!  She let the jets pummel her body with warm water, leaning her head back against the edge and closing her eyes.  She imagined what it would be like to lean back into his frame.  His long arms enveloping her as the tips of his fingers traced down her arms and back up over her breasts, grazing her hardened nipples.  She imagined that he would whisper into her ear how much he loved her as he gently caressed her skin, plunging his hands back into the water as his fingers coursed lower and lower, finding and exploring her core amidst her pleadings for more.</p><p>Roxanne opened her eyes and turned, resting a hand and her chin on the edge of the tub.  She wondered if he would be able to pleasure her as she would want, if his genitalia was compatible.  The question had crossed her mind many times before, but she was never comfortable making assumptions, which is probably why she focused so hard on his hands.  She closed her eyes and resumed her fantasy.  She was leaning forward in the tub and he was too, pressing his body against hers as his hands sought her release.  Roxanne gasped and dug her head into her arm, as her core convulsed, radiating shivers out to her toes.  She smiled to herself and breathed in deeply before leaning back in the tub.  </p><p>Suddenly she opened her eyes and said, “I can’t be here anymore.”  It was the overwhelming loneliness of going on a vacation by herself on her birthday that hit her.  It was the sense that things were left incomplete back home and that she needed to be present to face them.  She didn’t know how she’d find Megamind, but Roxanne was resourceful.  She was sure she’d find a way to track him down and settle everything between them.</p><p>Kicking out the stopper on the tub, Roxanne stood up and toweled off.  The sooner she got out of there, the sooner she could take the two-hour drive back home.  She thought back to her new outfit…</p><p>********************</p><p>Approximately 2.5 hours later, Roxanne pulled into the parking garage.  Pulling her weekend bag off of the passenger side, she mentally prepared herself for the darkness of the empty apartment as she got onto the elevator.  Inhaling sharply, she exited off on her floor and fumbled with the key a bit before opening up her door to complete darkness.  She flicked the light, dropped her weekend bag, and stopped in her tracks.  That’s odd, I don’t remember closing the drapes in the living room.  Roxanne cautiously walked over to the living room, turning on a pedestal lamp before dragging her hands across the drapes and dramatically opening them up.  Huh, nothing.</p><p>She turned back and gasped, “Megamind what are you doing here!”  Her skirt twirled, giving a slight hint of the black thigh highs and garter belt she wore underneath.</p><p>He was standing in the middle of the living room behind her, arms crossed over his chest, his face unreadable.  “I had to see you.”</p><p>Roxanne held her breath and stared at him, her ocean-eyes almost as wide as his.  “R-really?  Why?”  She added on, before he could respond, “Is this a kidnapping?”</p><p>He looked down and then inhaled deeply bringing his head back up to meet her gaze again, “No.  No kidnapping.”  She could tell that he was thinking, uncertain to say something.  Finally, he said, “Happy Birthday Miss Ritchi.”</p><p>Roxanne wrinkled her chin and furrowed her brow before being overtaken by giggles.  “You c-came h-h-here – you b-broke into my apartment – to t-tell me ‘Happy Birthday?’”</p><p>He looked away uncomfortably.  “Well, yes, Miss Ritchi, although that wasn’t everything.”</p><p>Roxanne immediately ceased laughing and put her hand out to the couch.  “Would you like to sit and chat?”  She lowered herself onto the corner of the couch, adjusting her skirt to keep the thigh highs obscured.  </p><p>He dropped his arms to his sides and plopped down on the other side of the couch.  He was looking down at his lap, his long thin fingers aimlessly twirling before he softly sighed and looked up, forcing himself to meet her intent gaze.  Swallowing, he said, “Your words have haunted me these last three months.  I have spent my time wondering my purpose.  If not for Metrocity, then why?”</p><p>“Why, Megamind?” Roxanne asked, the anticipation gutting her.</p><p>Megamind broke eye contact to gaze over her face.  He leaned forward on the couch, scooching closer to her.  Slowly, he lifted his hands to the sides of her face and gently touched her, his thumbs rubbing across her cheeks, grazing her lips slightly.  Roxanne closed her eyes, the tears spilling out as she did so.  “ ‘We need never be ashamed of our tears, for they are rain upon the blinding dust of earth, overlying our hard hearts’ ” he said softly.  He followed this with, “I’m sorry.”</p><p>“Why are you apologizing?” she asked, opening her eyes.</p><p>“For not realizing sooner.  For not letting myself believe.”</p><p>“That was beautiful,” she said.  “So familiar…?”</p><p>“Dickens.”  He searched her face and she gave him a faint smile, her heart too delicate to truly believe his words and actions.  She reached out a hand to his collar and pulled him forward, staring at his lips as they came closer and closer until they gently pressed against her own.  She took in a ragged breath and they closed their eyes as they turned their heads and leaned into this kiss.  Slowly and gently, she let Megamind kiss her the way he wanted to, reveling in his presence, his affections and attentions, but craving more.  As the kiss continued, his hands dropped down to her lap, while her own hand sought his knee.  </p><p>They pulled back from each other, but kept their hands where they were.  A slow smile creeping up her face, Roxanne leaned forward, pushing him against the back of the couch as she straddled his hips.  Her arms wrapped around Megamind’s shoulders and she gazed into his eyes, which reflected back to her the joy she felt burgeoning in her own.  He skimmed his hands across her back and Roxanne closed her eyes, reveling in his touch.  Megamind brought his mouth forward and pressed his lips to the column of her throat and she skimmed her fingers up his neck, up to the back of his head, where she cradled him against her.  </p><p>Roxanne didn’t ask Megamind if this was his first intimate moment.  She already knew that she was to be his guide; with that she disengaged from his embrace and grasped his hands, pulling them gently to stand up.  His face was uncertain, but not confused.  Without a word, she led him to her bedroom, slipped out of his hands, and flicked on the lamp on her nightstand.  He looked at her, waiting for Roxanne to make the next move.  Without breaking eye contact, she unbuttoned her blouse and shrugged it off, revealing a satin black bra underneath.  She smiled as she heard Megamind take a short, sharp breath.  Reaching behind her, Roxanne unfastened her bra and let the straps fall to her arms before casting it off across the room with a little laugh.  </p><p>She was more beautiful than he ever imagined.  No drawing, no matter how realistic, could do justice to seeing those soft feminine curves under warm light.  Megamind didn’t need her to tell him what he wanted to do next.  A couple of strides later, he was bent over Roxanne’s breasts, fingers grazing and tweaking one nipple while his tongue danced around the other, his goatee slightly tickling the underside of her breast as he pressed in.  She threw her head back and moaned while her hands grasped his head and pulled him closer to her.  Her response encouraged him and he began to move more swiftly, switching to her other breast, desperate to feel her other nipple against his tongue.</p><p>Regretfully Roxanne pulled him away.  Megamind lifted his face to hers, the fire in his eyes consuming her as his mouth pressed hard against hers.  He ran his thumbs over her nipples as his hands slowly skimmed down her body and over the material of her skirt, seeking a path to her core.  Roxanne stepped back and gave him a sultry smile at his panting even as her hands reached behind her for the zipper to her skirt.  She shook her hips to work it off of her body and let it drop to the floor.  Megamind gasped and stared at the beauty before him.  Roxanne wore only her garter belt and stockings.  It was so erotic and never in his fantasies where he actually got to have sex did Megamind imagine that someone would dress so provocatively for him.  She smirked and turned once for him, giving him a complete view of her body.  He thought back to her drawing, to what she obviously craved and reached out to her shoulder, gently spinning her back around.  </p><p>Roxanne held her breath as she felt his stare burn into her back, certain he was looking at her most prominent asset.  Then she felt his chest pressed against her back, his breath on her ear, and his arms wrapping around her so his fingers could skim over her neck, breasts, and lower, to her abdomen, where his hands stopped just above her mound.  Roxanne let her breath out, the knowledge that he had seen her secret sketches and had used them to bring her pleasure aroused her more than she could have imagined.  Megamind pressed his hips forward against her round buttocks and she could no longer wonder if they were compatible anymore.  Roxanne let out a strangled moan and gasped out, “I want you inside me.”</p><p>She turned around in his arms and kissed Megamind hard, his roving hands kneading her ass as she began to grind against him.  “Take this off,” she said, her lips close to his before stepping back and sitting on the edge of the bed, her legs spread, the pointy toes of her heels pointing out.  Roxanne watched Megamind strip down to nothing; it was rushed, shaking hands desperately shedding layers of spandex and leather until he stood before her in all of his naked glory.  At one time he might have been self-conscious of his lack of bulk muscle, his blue skin, and, of course, his large head.  In this moment, none of that mattered.  </p><p>She bit her bottom lip and let her gaze rest upon him.  He looked remarkably like a human under all of those layers.  Sure, the skin was different and the head large, but the body had the same general proportions, including the part she had wondered about the most.  It was just blue.  That was it.  Roxanne sighed contentedly and leaned back on the bed, pulling herself back more, kicking her shoes off as she brought her feet up flat on the mattress.  Megamind stood at the edge of the bed, staring at her exposed core, waiting for her to guide him on what she wanted next.  He knew what he wanted – nothing more than to plunge into her folds – but he wanted to give her what she needed as well.</p><p>“Touch me like this,” she said as she began to rub a finger in circles around her sensitive nub.  Her familiar path to release became that much more erotic with him watching her.  It was no longer a means to an end, but a journey through pleasure, a way for them to bond to each other.  Megamind walked towards and then forward onto his hands and knees on the bed, between her legs, his eyes never leaving hers.  Roxanne gasped as he pushed her hand out of the way gently and began imitating her example.  </p><p>“Harder,” she whispered and moaned almost immediately as he pressed his fingers in harder, throwing her head back.  Unaware of how much time had passed – seconds, minutes? - Roxanne felt a shiver run over her skin.  This was the build up she had been waiting for.  “Stop.”</p><p>Megamind dropped his hand immediately and looked into her eyes, a brief flash of anxiety crossing them, as if he had done something wrong.  Roxanne smiled seductively and leaned forward, pulling him up and on her.  She whispered into his ear, “I need you inside me right now.”  She felt him shiver in her arms.  Megamind felt Roxanne reaching below him and guiding him into her silky wet depths.  That first plunge was overwhelming and he stopped once he was inside to take in a long shuddery breath.  He touched her face and kissed her slowly and deeply as her hips began to buck up rhythmically, eliciting a similar response from him.  </p><p>Roxanne broke the kiss to moan incoherently and grip his shoulders tightly, her nails digging in slightly.  He felt her arm drop to between them and he raised himself onto his elbows to allow her the room to touch herself as he continued to thrust in her, gaining speed towards the inevitable.  She felt the tension break and shuddered in his arms as her release caused her hips to buck up.  He held her close and she looked into his eyes as the last shudder ran through her body, the intensity of the moment leaving Megamind awestruck.  </p><p>He felt his own release coming, surprised he had lasted this long in such a beautiful woman’s arms.  Roxanne, sensing his impending orgasm, firmly said, “Keep looking me in the eyes.” She felt him tense up and his eyes grew large as he strained to maintain eye contact, his body rigid before finally relaxing into her arms and burying his head into the crook of her neck, one last violent shudder causing him to gasp in her ear.  </p><p>The first time Roxanne had sex, when she lost her virginity, she didn’t really feel much beyond the normal physical reaction an aroused body has.  Over the years, she had several partners and sex had been enjoyable to varying degrees.  </p><p>This, this was different.  This was the combination of raw desire and sweet love.  This was vulnerability.  This was everything they had wanted - the forging of their bond.</p><p>Roxanne looked over at Megamind, who lifted his head and wiped away tears.  “Sweetie, are you crying?” she asked, running a hand down the back of his head.</p><p>He laughed a little and said, “I never knew.  If only I – we – could have found each other this way sooner.”</p><p>Roxanne smiled and kissed his tears away.  “We have each other now.” </p><p>He returned her smile and then collapsed on the mattress next to her, for the first time feeling complete, whole.  Roxanne reached out and they held hands in silence, contemplating their new path.</p>
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